The analysis of samples for microorganisms, such as bacteria, is important for public health. Foods grown, purchased, and consumed by the general population may contain or acquire microorganisms, which flourish or grow as a function of the environment in which they are located. This growth may lead to accelerated spoilage of the food product or the proliferation of pathogenic organisms, which may produce toxins or allergens.
In current testing of foods for pathogens by PCR, the analytical method must be able to detect as little as one organism in 375 g of meat that is incubating in four liters of enrichment broth. In order to be reliably assayed, the pathogen organisms must grow to a concentration of approximately 5,000 organisms per milliliter from which a five microliter sample is collected for the PCR amplification and the detection process. The time consumed for this growth ranges from eight to 24 or more hours. In order to reduce this time, a method is needed that can concentrate the organisms from an incubating broth without introducing the problems related to antibody-antigen interactions.